The Silver Plague
by Joshua
Summary: The second chapter of the Mobius Sequnce, the king is on his final leg, and Sonnu qust to save him turns into a twisted web of trechery and secrets. Nothing is for sure, and no one can be trusted. Please tell me what you think.


The Silver Plague

By: Joshua Knode

Contributer: Mat Lenz

Scroll 9989 of mobian record

Interview with Countess Godiva St. John of Downunda

Q: What was the condition under witch you brother came to reign?

A: Why should I answer your questions?

Q: Your words will be preserved.

A: You would Preserve the Words of a Traitor?

Q: You committed no crime, it was your brother who was a Traitor.

A: Than why am I in Exile?

Q: You were deemed a threat to his Majesty's fief.

A: (Long Pause) Was I? For this reason my Brother came to Reign. He was tired of Lord Acorn's totalitarianism. He was sick of him making decisions for his own benefit, not the benefit of all.

Q: So you believe you Brother to be justified in his Coup?

A: I said no such thing. I simply point out that my brother sought to make a better kingdom, and he was demonized not for his politics, but his person.

Q: Explain.

A: My Brother was a ruthless man, he was a brutal and hateful man. He was prone to drink, he had fights to the death in royal banquets. These are things that have little to do with running a successful empire, but it was for these reasons an army was raised against him, and he was murdered, not because of his politics.

Q: You Brother committed Suicide,

A: Induced by a fear of imprisonment and torture by the Brotherhood of Guardians. My brother wrongs many individuals in his life, but everyone had food on their table and order pods to keep them safe. He designed the Mighty Saudaukar to protect the people, while Acorn Kings would threw unarmed militia into the street after overlanders. Refusing to even arm them. Take a look at the kingdom you live in Scribe, you kings good heart and mercy is what made Mobobtropolis a cesspool, a slum, and made a nation waiting to be overthrown by the next overlord madman. 

Q: Thank you for your time.

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Sonnu and the guardian Lara-Su were married, sealing an age old unspoken alliance between the floating island and the Kingdom of Acorn. Unfortunately, this alliance was not long lived. Soon it was revealed Lara-Su married without the consent of the Brotherhood of Haven. It marked for the first time ever a direct descendent of Edmund was exiled from the island. The brotherhood claimed they were afraid that the bloodline would be corrupted, but many believe in truth it was done out of spite for Lara-Su's rebellion. This would be the first in decades of strafe between the Acorns and the Floating island. 

-Anonymous Royal Scribe

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"Histories of the Acorn Dynasty" Vol. 14 chapter 9 Sec. 113955

Lotus was hatched into a world of Machines. She had known them all her life, but something inside her refused to accept them. Something, unnatural about them disturbed her deep in her soul. At five years she as an incredible little girl, and soon, when the little planet rose for the first time she would commune with it under her grandmother Amy's guidance. The little girl stood on her toes To watch over the Banister of the balcony, watching the massive land trains troll slowly on the street distantly below. 

"Lotus?" Lara-Su called from inside the large apartment. "Don't stand on your toes that close to the edge honey,"

"I'm just watching the lands trains mommy," Lotus said, straining to watch the huge pill shaped trains carry their cargo though the wide street between the buildings. 

Lara-Su emerged onto the Balcony, squinting as the sun shone dimly through a thin spot in the smog. In these days, Lara hated this city. The smog was choking and the noise was unbearable, but when Lotus was hatched to her and Sonnu, she was banished from the floating island. 

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Is this any place for my daughter to grow?

In a world of Machines?

Lara-Su picked up her daughter, letting her watch the land trains crawl by far below the towers where they stood. Lotus' pointed ear twitches with the loud rumbling, her pick fur and pointed ears were the only traits she inherited from Sonnu's part of the family, she had chubby headspines and almond shaped blue eyes. She wore a white T-shirt with a pink flower on it, and denim shorts. 

"Mommy, Why are there land trains?" Lotus asked.

Lara-Su sighed, not liking the answer. "Well honey, they take products, like the shirt your wearing, the furniture in the house, games, toys, food, all over Mobius to sell to people."

"What do they do with the money?" Lotus asked,

Lara-Su grinned grimly, "They make more land trains honey, so they can ship more products, and make more money." She looked at her feet. "And then they build bigger cities, and bigger factories."

"Factories are ugly," Lotus said.   
"Yes, they are honey." Lara said. 

"Why don't we stop the land trains?" 

"I don't know Lotus," Lara said. "I don't know."

__

Taylor's means of "saving" the kingdom was putting it's full recourses into trade, into making more money to set it back to it's economic feet. It did just that, while Turing the world into a kind of singular trade community, values changed for most people money became most important and Taylor was a sort of a God to them. After King Elias come down with his Illness however, Taylor poured everything in the kingdom's treasury, and his own personal fortune into finding a cure. No one thought of Taylor as being close to the king, no one really knew if he did so because he was actually concerned, or because of some other agenda. 

-Lara-Su

"A World of Machines"

On the Ashes of Scor's empire, now stood a disturbing Image. On the other side of the window the new world beckoned and taunted Sonnu, it was of a world restored, but a world drained of life. It had been seven years since Score had flung himself out of this same window, to his death. This room was no longer a throne room, once again the 2000 year old castle had been remodeled, this time by Taylor Bartlett. Every time Sonnu walked past this window, he thought back to the day when he stood in this room and bowed sincerely to a monarch, the first time in his life he knew freedom. The window was the same, but the image beyond it, of the smog-filled steel city, was still alien to him. Sonnu turned away from the window, shrouding the memories it stirred up. Taylor Bartlett was the head of parliament, the democratic leader under the King and sine the King's illness the parliament was scrambling to fill the void. Taylor working the hardest almost as if he blamed himself for the king's illness. Sonnu didn't get along with him well, but nonetheless repeated him. Sonnu entered the laboratory, where Taylor spent time when he was troubled, or if he uncovered a new piece of a dismantled SWATbot or another piece of ancient Technology. It was a large room with little more than four long white tables, with cabinets lining the walls full of tools and instruments. Currently Taylor was hunched over a pile of circuits that was once a piece of technology. 

"Councilman?" Sonnu said.

Taylor turned, the Black squirrel's face alight with a smile. Taylor's midnight black eyes always as if they stared from darkness. Taylor wore his usual attire, a three piece Grey business suit that offset his dark brown fur. Always perfectly pressed, the acorn coat of arms on the breast pocket of the jacket. 

"Sonnu," Taylor said in greeting. "I'm sorry we could not meet in my chambers, but I've run across an interesting artifact,"

An entire meeting directed to the complete other side of the palace because Taylor found a new toy. "understandable councilman," Sonnu said, thinly hiding his contempt.

Taylor sighed. "I know I am elected statesman Sonnu, but such formality is not required among friends," 

Yeah, friends.

Taylor extended one of his rail thin arms toward the stool next to him. "Sit Sonnu."

Sonnu reluctantly sat. 

Taylor waved his long thin hand over the table. "This my friend is the only remains of the power ring forge from knothole, the one your own father used on raids against Robotropolis,"

Sonnu was genuinely intrigued. "Wow, where'd you get this?"

Taylor grinned, "In an imperial scrap yard," he pointed to a metal plate on one of the circuit boards. "The serial number matches, this was forged on the anvil of Sir Charles Hedgehog himself." Taylor sighed with a sense of wonder. "You know this was built for your father's DNA, if I can get it working,"

Sonnu Nodded, "I might be able the power rings,"

Taylor nodded excited. "Yes indeed." He said. "And let me show you something else,"

Taylor stood and strode across the room, the black squirrel's long dark tail flowing behind him. Sonnu always was intrigued his ease of movement, Taylor was incredibly tall and thin, nearly a head taller than Sonnu but nearly half his weight. Taylor was a member of Scor's reserve guard, and Sonnu heard he was an accomplished fighter. Sonnu couldn't imagine Taylor in a fight, since in Elias' kingdom he was a politician and businessman, not to mention the guy was so wiry he could hide behind a broomstick. Taylor reached a laboratory locker, swinging the steel doors open. Inside four power rings glowed with chaos energy. Sonnu's mouth dropped open.

"These are only partially developed," Taylor said. "but still fully functional as far as I can tell."

"Can I-" 

"Perhaps," Taylor said. 

"You'd think Scor would've destroyed them,"

"Why?" Taylor said. "To him power ring themselves were not as important as what they stood for, he only decimated them to make a statement. I'll have to run some tests before you try to use them though, they might be unstable."

"This was an incredible find," Sonnu said.

"You don't know the half of it," Taylor bragged, excited at his find. "Do you realize Sonnu, that with the harnessed power of the Ring forge, we could power a roboticizer capable of curing His majesty's ailments? We may not know what's making him sick, but the roboticizer can cure him nonetheless."

"Is this why you called me?" Sonnu said. "Do you need my help? I was an engineer in the Empire," Sonnu was excited about the idea of getting to work on the Knothole power rung forge.

"Well I suppose your skill could help Sonnu," Taylor said. "But I've restored the machine to working order already, all it needs is a power source."

"A chaos Emerald,"  
Taylor nodded. "Yes indeed. Witch are incredible hard to come by since Artificial emeralds were developed. This machine requires the paranormal energy developed only by a natural emerald, so this is our mission: venture into the last known area of Mobius to harbor these kinds of Emeralds, the great Unknown, using paranormal trackers, search out and retreive a Chaos emerald."

Sonnu paused.

"Is there something wrong with my plan?"

Other than it was thought of by a weasle of a Squirrel? "No counsulman, it's just. . .my daighter Lotus will be dedicated to the little planet just two days from now, this is a special moment in her life and I want to be there,"

Taylor frowned. "Well I'm sorry Sonnu, time is of the essence. King Elias has less than a month to live acording to his physitians, if we don't find this cure quick, it's all over."

Sonnu wanted to slap that incinseer look off the squirl's face, but he realized it wasn't Taylor's fault. Taylor was right. The king was on the edge of death, and him and Taylor had their differences but they both had the same loyalty ot the king. 

"I understand Taylor." Sonnu sighed,

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Weakness of the body means little, weakness of the mind is the end of all great men

-D'jer Dazen

Scribe of the Royal kingdom

King Elias Acorn was an old man, he knew that now, the IV bottle hanging luminousely over his bed, feeding his body a steady diet of conecteron, the only thing that kept him alive. He flexed his wrist where the needle fed the medicine into his veighn, it itched slightly, but it had for hours and he didn't have the strenth to scratch it. All he had now was his dreams, he slept often and long. At other times he stares at the white marble ceiling, listening to the steady dripping of the IV bottle.

He was sure his life would soon be over,

But what of his heirs?

What of Mobius?

Elias was long alone with his thoughts and his dieses, a yet unknown complication that redered his almost a vegible. He was the first to suffer from it in recorded history, witch naturaly meant there was no known cure. Elias rolled his head as he heard a door creak slowly open. Behind his Stood Taylor, the black squirl's solid black eyes glareing at him as if from darkness. He poured a drink from the King's unused Bar.

"Greetins you majesty," Taylor said, bowling slightly.

"Yes, Taylor my friend," Elias moaned, barely able to speak. "Is their any news?"

"Well I just caught the newscast," Taylor said, walking to the opposite wall, pouring a glass of wine from the king's unused bar. "Stocks in your kingdom's industry are still on the rise, up thirteen points in the last three days, quite imperessive. Other then that, nothing of much interest. The palace is quiet wihtout you your majesty, this hospitol may be the best place to treat you, but not worthy of your contanance."  
"No cure?"  
Taylor shook his head solemly. "We are onto a promiseing Lead you majesty, Sonnu and I are going to retreive the last element we need to cure you shortly."

"Your chances of retreiveing this eelement?"

Taylor turned his eyes down. "Doubtfull," He admited. "I am sorry,"

"I know Taylor, it's allright. I've lived to be sixty, purhaps that's all the time I need,"

"You talk as if you give up," Taylor said. "Well you didn't give up when Scor was on the throne, and I didn't give up rebuilding the economic structure of the kingdom that Scor decimated, if not for your funding of the industrial base of this kingdom we wold't even have the recorces to research you ailment."

"It was you finantial geinis that saved us Taylor," Elias mumbled, "not mine,"

Taylor smiled modestly. "Well, purhaps, but we are a team you majesty, you representing leadership, me repsenting industry," He raised his glass. "To industy," He said as he took the drink to his lips.

Elias smiled. "Yes, to industry, and to us,"

Taylor didn't respond, unable to. He turned to leave.

__

Thus says the Lord God:

Behold, I will lift my hand in an Oath to all nations, 

And set up my Standards for my people, 

They shall bring your sons in their arms 

And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders

Isiah 49:22 

New Overland Bible, 

Common referece text of the sisterhood of Thorns and the Aurorium Fellowship

Shadows dance in the Aurorium's Santuary as cadleflames flichered as the only light in the early morning. St Amy touched a long match to anotehr of the thin candles seting it aflame. She glanced back at St. Mina preapreing the altar's Microphone for the morning's prayer servies. Amy begun to sing an acneit song of worhip in the old Mobian tounge:

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Sola Noem Ka gradae

Great maker of all we know

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Sadae Du Ogla blassa nu dea corrum

Allow your blessing to fall on a devilish world,

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Beim Ogla Tiana sula toma

For your love is eternal, 

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Wala toula og Aka , Wala Toula og Aka,

We only find life in you, we only find life in you,

Amy's soft soprano floated about the massive cathedral flying about in the darkness like a plea. Amy felt so close to the maker she felt like she could ask anytng of her. It seemd lately like the Maker had been shouting to her, but gave her litte more than a simple message.

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Pray for this world,

Pray for this world,

It ran in her dreams, in her prayers, like a chant it echoed. The maker never let Amy know to much, it was her way only to let Amy know exactly what she needed to know. Amy sung again, in her own way it was like a prayer. Mina hummed along, unable to sing for her lack of a tounge. Mina dusted the altar off, focused on her work enven thogh she senced Amy was distressed.

"You know I'm worried about this aren't you Mina?" Amy suddenly said.

Mina tuend her head up from her work for a second, turning her ears to the voice. She nodded.

"I pray to the Maker for wisdom," Amy said, lighitng the last candle. "but she repeats the same message."

Mina said nothing, she actualy couldn't, she only smiled, returning to her work.

"Pray for guidance in these days Mina," Amy said. "And for this world,"

"St. Amy?" Lara-Su's voice ecoed from the entrance,

"Hi Grama!" Lotus yelled wavieng he hand franticly in the air.

"Lara-Su. . .Lotus," Amy said. "The Aurium is not offcialy open,"

"I know Sister, but I needed to speak with you," Lara said.

"It's not a problem My daughter," Amy said pulling a curtian across the altar. "You are always welome here."

Lara-Su grined shallowly and lowered her eyes, she was a diciple of the Technocracy, (A relegion of the Dark Legion) and felt a bit guilty at Amy extending kindness to her depite their differences in religion.

"it's about this communeing with the little planet," Lara said, thinking she might as well get it out. "Sonnu is going to be on a mission, he won't be able to attend."

Amy looked down, a bit disapointed. "This is an imporant moment in Lotus' life,"

"I know mom," Lara said. "But The king is sick and he Taylor's got a way to. . ." Lara shook her head. "I'm sorry,"

Amy sighed. "Well, then it is not the Maker's will, something. . .of more importance is coming about here."

Lara nodded. "I guess."

Amy heard Lara's thoughts, felt her embarassment. "You wish your daughter to also worship the Technpocrracy," Amy said plainly, reading Lara's thoughts. 

Lara loked a bit offended, she didn't like Amy getting into her mind. "I mean it's just. . .It's up to Lotus really."

Amy lifted Lara's face by her chin. "If she is to commune, there must by no doubt in her mind of her faith."

"I know," Lara said. "It's just hard when you growing up with one religion then watching my daughter grow up with another."

Amy smiled her sweet smile, "I know my daughter, My mother and father were atheistic, and never understood my facination with the little planet. As I assume you don't understant your daughter's call to it."

"I don't," Lara said. "My people worshiped technology, it was enough for our needs,"

"Anything small enough for you mind," Amy siad. "It far to small for your needs."

Lara opened her mouth, as If to say something else, then was silent for a moment. 

"I'm sorry," Lara said. "I know we should't argue,"

"Of corse," Amy siad. "Your religon is your choice."

Lara was silent, for a while. Lotus figeting, scratching her left ankle with her right foot. 

"Sister," Lara began, "You can speak with the Maker right?"

Amy nodded. "We all can child," Amy said with a warm smile. "but she and I do speak often."

"Well," Lara asked "What does she say about Lotus?"

Lotus stared inocently at Amy, waiting for an answer.

"She says watch this child," Amy said. "She will change the world."

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The macines ruled the world, but I ruled the macines.

-Dr. Julian Kintobor of the house of Ivo 

AKA Dr. Robotnik

Taylor looked over the readings onece more, the macine was ready to run. . .but it wan't quite like he thought. The reflection of the dull green light was the only light in the room, the LCD was bright and made his dark face glow eiryly. Here, beneath the glass of this wonderouse macine, was the answert to Mobius's problem, that thing that would make sure no one like Scor would ever bring pain, or suffering. Only now, was Taylor having second thoughts. A voice called for him from the soft darkness.

"Taylor?"

The voice was Delecate, it sounded like harpsong to him, a soft arm embraced him from the darkness.

"My love," Taylor whispered. "It's almost ready."

A muzzle rubed agianst Taylor's shoulder, "Why must you worry of sutch things?"

"It'll be our world." Taylor said. "just you and me." 

Taylor ran his hand gently down the woman's long hair, it ran downher back, all the way to back of her legs. She spoke again sleepyly.

"What of the king?" 

"He'll be fine once I get the Crystal." Taylor said. "Our select few will contiue, I will finfish what I started."

The woman sighed, "I will visit the temple before you and Sonnu leave,"

"See that you do," Taylor said.

"I love you Taylor," The voice said, her hand massageing Scor's chest.

Taylor sighed, kissing the soft hand gently. "As I love you."

__

Scor surpirseingly had many loyalists after his fall. These Loyalist were some of the most adept warrios on Mobiu. In that time, and in centurys before and after, These Career fighters were able to hold off armys that outhnumbered them dozens to one. Typicly when one of Scor's guard were killed, he (or she) was surounded by the fallen corpses hundreds of his opponents. Unfortunately to the matial arts community, most of Scor's Imperial arts were lost when the last of his guard mysteiosely dissapeared in a valley on the southern part of the Mobotropolis continent. For fear of them, no one has dared search them out.

-Grand master Meramon of the Kiana Kenpo Do

"Martial Arts of the Dynastys"

Sonnu packed the landcar, suvival gear, communications equipment, thing Sonnu probably would't need if Taylor didn't insist on coming along. The airstrip had been useless since the war of Sepration, now it was a hodling ground for military vehicles. The runway was massive, and held dezeons of sute vehincels. It apered almost like a desr of cement. Sonnu chuckled, A landcar. He could be there in half an hour, but dragging all this gear along would slow them down considerably. Since Sonnu discovered his speed, he had come to loath all things slow, developing an inpatience that was almost a flaw. Something he knew his father was known for. Sonnu saw Lara-Su distantly arriveing, his daughter close behind. Sonnu waited, his daughter. Something he never thought he'd see. The child would be great, as his Mother predicted. He only wished he could be there for her commencement. Sonnu held Lara close as she reached him on the lot. 

"I'm sorry," Sonnu said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Lara didn't speak, kisses Sonnu's shoulder. "I know you will, But I'll still worry."

Sonnu bent to look his daigher in the eye, she was so bautiful, so unique. He brushed a bit of her headfur out of her eye. Lotus was smileing, for some reason that only she could understand.

"You gonna take care of you motehr while I'm gone?" Sonnu asked.

Lotus nodded. 

"See that you do," Sonnu leaned closer, whispering in Lotus' ear, "She's really helpless without me,"

Lara chuckled and lifted Sonnu by the chin to his feet. "Helpless huh?"

Lotus giggled.

Sonnu had a sinking feeling, like this was going to be the last time he ever saw them. 

The Siluette of a long coat emerged from the morning mist, Sonnu shuddered, the last time he saw that silluette, it was Akkir comeing to duel him. This time, it was the whisper-thin vissage of Taylor, wraped in a dark coat, a signal of a Scor loyalist. Sonnu Scoweled at Taylor, he knew that Taylor hated Scor ans mutch as anyone, but the coat. . .why?

"A shame. " Taylor said, "This coat is an ancheint sighn of a mastery of the balck arts, only recently has Scor tainted it by clothing his loyalists in it." Taylor smiled, unwittingly answering Sonnu Question.

Sonnu still could never immagine Taylor in a fight, he simply didn't look like a warrior. Sonnu did read over Taylor's dossier ealer that day. He learned Taylor was a grand master in Meronori, an ancient art of pain inflection, where a master could inflict massive does of pain to any part of an opponent's body with only his voice. Not to mention nearly a dozen other moinor fighitng arts. In the coat Taylor almost looked imposeing, underneath Taylor wore only a vest, displaying a trim and powerful torso. On his belt he wore what seemed like minor weapons, a tiny Jigblade, (A wepon desighend to fighting robotic opponents) a Jite, and several Shurikin. For any other man thiswould be lightly aremd, but a master of the black arts, his own two hands, his voice, his mind, there were all weapons. 

"Are we ready to go?" Sonnu asked. 

"I await someone," Taylor said. "My beloved,"

Antother surprise, Sonnu never suspected Taylor was in a relationship with anyone. Then he saw her, the unmistakable sillete flowing from the morining mist. Her hair dusting the cememnt under her feet, long and flowing like a cape behind her, her eyes wide and blue, slitted like a snake's. A small scar ot the base of her neck, the one that Sonnu made with the emporer's blade years ago. Taylor embraced the woman, a woman Sonnu spent the last six years hateing. 

"Godiva St. John," Taykor said Introduceing her. "Thogh I beliuve you know her,"

Sonnu nodded. "I do." He said with spite thaqt could crack cement,

"You were banished," Lara-Su said, gaurding Lotus as if Godiva would poince on her.

"So were diciples of the Technocracy," Godiva said, "And you swear algance to the dark legion,"

Lara's face twisted into a scowel, "I hide great power, tyrant." She threatened.

Godiva smile micheviosly, raiseing her eyebrows. "You would attack an unarmed woman. . .former gaurdian?" 

Lara steped forward, Sonnu held her back, 

"Godiva is engaged to me," Taylor said, "She rejoins the kindom as my bride, and she is my resposibility." Taylor kissed Godiva's hand tenderly. "She defers to the parlament."

Sonnu scoweled, she still does not defer to the king. 

Godiva ignored Sonnu and the others, "Forgive them my love," She siad. "They remember only my brother."

Taylor sighed, ignoreing Sonnu and his family glareing at him. "They will understand," He promised. "Sonnu is one of my chosen, as his the wife and child. They will know,"

Godiva kissed her fiance. "Come back alive."

"I will" Taylor said. "I am with the chosen."

Sonnu wondred what that meant, he'd been called "fastest thing alive", "Son of Sonic" but never "the Chosen." Must be some new pet name the poeple were calling him. One thing Sonnu differed formhis father was pride, he loathed all theses fancy titles and undeserved prase he got. Songs were never written about the Feydakin, history only remembered things like him, history's heors were aponted by those who wrote it. 

"Come on Taylor," Sonnu said. "We've got Choas emeralds to find."

__

It is my sorry duty to inform you that the genetic material you supplied me are to different to be compatible. Artificial fertilization will produce an offspring, but incompatible genes could cause mental complications. As much as I want to give you an offspring, my oath as a medical doctor is to respect life in all it's forms. I cannot ethically bring a child into the world that could live it's life as a mental invalid or a violent psychotic. 

-Dr. Quack

A letter to Sally Alicia Acorn and Sonic the Hedgehog

Tiana's quills tingled as she regained consciousness

This was something. . .something here, 

No, it was dead.

Tiana glanced down at her hands, their thick leather gloves. . .dripping with deep red blood. 

Tiana struggled to remember, where did this blood come from?

She was sitting, sitting in more blood.

Tiana felt a pain on her chest, looked down. . .some of this blood was hers but not all of it. That thing. . .lying on the floor, a corpse lying in blood. Tiana moved, her muscles ached, she crawled forward, more gashes and cuts stung as she moved. She felt tired, she must've lost a lot of blood. Tiana rolled the corpse over. It's dead hand was still clutching a bloodied knife, 

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This is who cut me up,

It was a fox wearing body armor, over the armor he wore a black leather coat,

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Someone I knew wore that coat,

The Fox had a light tan coat, white muzlefur, he would be handsome if he were alive. The armor had been split open, his stomach slashed, thick blood still seeped out, an off-white piece of entrails visible though the thick blood. Seemed someone cracked this armor like an egg, pried it open and cut him up like horribly. 

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Did I do this?

There was another blood-filled cavity over his heart. She must have done that to. Tiana tried to stand, leaning on her left hand, felt a sharp pain. She gasped and looked. . .her palm had a deep gash in it, sticky with blood.

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Who did this,

Tiana smiled, it wasn't someone else. She found a knife-shaped piece of glass lying near her crusted with newly dried blood. She must have used it to fight the fox, and cut her own hand. Tiana chuckled, she wasn't so selective when it came to weapons, but she wished she could have used something that couldn't slice open her hand. Tiana laid back a bit, she still felt a bit dizzy so she'd need a few moments to rest. Tiana rested her head on the corpse, looked around, wondered what this place was. Her memory was so limited. . .The floor was cement, had traces of straw, and a thin layer of dust. To small to be a barn. . some kind of storage building. The air was dry and dusty, a high window letting in a ray of sunlight. The walls bare, looked as if they were made of plywood. There was a lantern in the center of the room, splattered with a few spots of red blood. A small leather duffel bag across the room Tiana recognized as hers. She'd have to check if there was any food in it as soon as she got her bearings back, she was hungry. Of coarse she was resting on a meal. The Kill was fresh, of coarse this man fought back, he was a warrior, this meat would be far to tough from his adrenaline. Tiana began to remember this valley, a beautiful place, almost like the Forrest in her genetic memory. This man lived here, in this small building, he remembered her from somewhere. 

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They knew the chameleon, 

He scared her somehow, and they wound up fighting. Tiana won for coarse, but this man was a tough customer. She glanced again at her wounds, her rusty brown fur torn in places. Only small gashes, just a lot of them. Tiana stretched, he head had stopped spinning, she must be recovering. 

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Bless my squirrel metabolism. 

Tiana mentally went over her wounds, her longest gash over her heart, not deep enough to be a problem and it would head soon. The rest were minor enough to forget, they would need to clean them to keep from being infected. Tiana stood, felt her leather tank top begin to slide off. She caught it quickly, holding it over her breasts. Tiana realized the slash across her heart must have severed the straps. She glanced down at her loin cloth, it was intact but not as much covering as she'd like. Modesty wasn't all that of an issue, but winter was coming, an a loin cloth and a slashed up top would offer almost no protection. Tiana knelt again to the Corpse, looking at the long coat, the leather was in fine condition but it was just decorative, it had no lining. Tiana thought, she rubbed the bare throat of the Fox. The meat might be tough, but the pelt was soft and thick. Tiana grinned, this would make a fine lining. She grabbed the Fighter's dagger, began slipping the coat off the dead fox. It wouldn't take much to tan this hide and use it as a lining, or an undershirt.

Tiana smiled,

It wasn't as if he needed it anymore.

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Enemies confide in each other more readily than friends.

-Lara-Su

"The drama of life"

Sonnu hated going this slow, but he was with Taylor, and he wasn't much of a runner. The trip had been almost silent, both of them knowing an argument was on the end of their tongues the entire two-hour trip. Now, as Taylor busied himself with his Chaos detector, trying against trying to find a trace of chaos energy. Sonnu wondered what he ever saw in that witch Godiva. He needed to tell him, needed to find out why he let someone who was so evil back into the kingdom.

"Taylor. . ." Sonnu Began, "When did you meet. . .Godiva,"

Taylor gave Sonnu a sideways glance, the question catching him by surprise. It was a lot more polite and conversational than Sonnu intended.

"Well," Taylor began. "When I was in Scor's reserve guard I was assigned to the outside of the quarters."

"You were her Bodyguard?" Sonnu said.

Taylor shook his head, "No, reserve guard, we were assigned to guard the door to her personal quarters, make sure no one but servants or man slaves got in or out."

"How long was that?" 

Taylor thought. "I served about nine years," He said. "But I really didn't know her, I saw her come in and out, heard her talk to her brother, her lovers. I always thought she was nice looking but never really was attracted to her." Taylor looked his sensor abruptly, turning himself toward something. "Bingo," Taylor said, smiling wide. "A big trace, few miles north." 

Sonnu claps his hands, "Alright," 

The two started north, the trail was narrow, Sonnu wished he was running. He found himself strangely curios again. Sonnu knew Godiva was evil, she was a murderer just like Scor. He figured it would be best to just ask.

"You say you were never attracted to Godiva?" Sonnu said, restarting the conversation.

Taylor smiled. "Well I am now of coarse," He said. "It's just back then she was just. . .a target. Something I had to guard. Men in the guard made it a habit to not learn much about what we guard. We were afraid we'd find out we didn't like the person we were supposed to give our lives for."

"I would certainly have that problem." Sonnu said. 

"As would I." Taylor said. "I remember the day I first came to know what kind of person she was." Taylor paused. "She came back to her quarters near the end of my shift, I remember because she stormed past me, stomping, not like her usual graceful movement. After a few minutes I heard her yelling. Afraid she was being attacked I rushed in, found her facedown on her pillow, crying."

"Crying?" Sonnu didn't mean to ask, but it was the last thing he expected.

Taylor nodded. "Yes, she looked up at me with the eyes of a scared child, filled with tears. That was the moment I realized how beautiful she was. Not when she was pompous and arrogant, or in her noble beauty. She was beautiful there because I realized she was just like me. We talked a long, long time that night. Learned quite a bit about each other." Taylor let a shallow smile stretch across his lips. "I think she knew then to."

"What was she crying about?" 

Taylor shrugged. "I never found out." He said. "She cried a lot during the twenty year dynasty, she cried almost every night. It was like everyone else was blessed with ignorance but her, it was as if she knew how her brother would die in shame years before he did. She really did care for him."

"Do you think she's anything like Scor?" Sonnu wasn't sure if this was the right Question to ask, but both he, and Taylor needed it answered. 

Taylor was silent for a while, Sonnu almost repeated the Question, but Taylor answered. 

"She has a taste for the elegant," Taylor said. "And she can be arrogant, pompous and selfish. At times she's immature, and lustful, but beyond that, she's a scared child. Godiva's not an easy person to get along with and given a few more wrong turns, she would have been just like her brother, but she's nothing like him now. She's helpless, and desires nothing more than pleasure from life. She has no thirst for power, or wish for revenge."

"Are you sure of that?" Sonnu asked.

The answer surprised him.

"No I'm not." Taylor said. "but I love her enough to believe it anyway. Love sees beyond doubt."

__

And when the sun sat, there was only the light of the moon, welcoming, warm, a testament to the creation.

-St. Trina the Great

"Book of the second moon"

The fool's desert was a plain of sand, after this long a thin layer of grass now poked up though the false sand. It was almost laughable that Scor spent so much decimating this area, the power was still there. The entire sisterhood was here, standing in the silvery darkness as St. Amy prepared Lotus's cerimonial garb. It was much like the silky white skirts the sisterhood wore. St. Amy had some trouble figureing out what kind of gown that Lotus would wear, each species in the sisterhood had a different kind of gown, and Lotus was the first crossbreed to be inrtoduced into the sisterhood. Lotus selected the hedgehog gown personaly, feeling more hedgehog than Echidna. It was a long, thin, silky white gown with a hair baret to hold back her quills, the beret was made of solid gold, inset with six rubys. Amy sliped the beret on her granddaughter, holding back her quills just like she used to do for herself. Lotus smile sweetly, chubby face alive with excitement. Amy prepered the sheer satin cape, tieing the neck sash over Lotus's soulders. Finshaly, the silver plated bracelets, she clicked them on Lotus's wrists.

"What are those made out of gramma?" Lotus asked,

Amy senced the question, ut learned not to answer questions before they were asked audibly. "Silver Lotus, glossed with Anmentia."

Lotus looked at them, eyes wide. "Their really nice," She siad. 

"What is the reason we wear valuable metals?" Amy asked, 

Lotus bit her bottom lip, thinking. "Because we are in the presence of the Maker always," she recited.

Amy brushed her back Lotus's hair, trying to straten it out nicely for the ceremony. "The Maker gave us beautiful things like gold and silver to enjoy, and share with all."

Lotus nodded, "I think their pretty," She laiughed.

Amy grinned a bit, staninding. "The little planet will apear soon," Amy said holding Lotus' hand, leading her though the precession of the Sisterhood.

"What do I do?" Lotus asked. 

"Just wait, it will happen on it's own." 

The moon emerged, alive with light. . .green-blue, like nothing Lotus ever saw. The light shone to her, though her, filling her sences. It blinded her, but seemed to expland her vision at the same time. Everything glowed silvery white, she looked around at the sisterhood, she could see thought them, she knew their hearts! It was amazeing! Lotus gasped as the silvery haze melted everything away, and she saw a forest. . .clear as day, yet hazy somehow. It was. . .so beautiful, filed with life. 

Then . . .fire!

Everything burned! IN a flash the forest was gone. . . then everhiny, engulfed, ashes, BURNED!

Lotus screamed, raninto her Grandmother's arms, Amy embraced her.

"Honey, is something wrong?" St. Amy asked,

"It all burned down!" Lotus said, "I saw a forest, and it burned down!"

Amy sighed and rocked her granddaughter, she must havce seen the past, "Oh I know Lotus, Scor burned this forest down long before you were Born,"  
Lotus sobbed, her eyes filled with tears, "No Gramma, not the forest," Lotus's eyes trembled, "Mobius Burned . . .I saw Mobius Burn!"

Amy held Lotus close, prayed silently that Lotus was mistaken, if it was the future she saw. . .Mobius was destined to end in flames.

__

It was only in the wilds where life still existed, everyone was afraid of them, not because they were dangerous, but because they threatened the lifestyle Taylor made for everyone, a life of luxury for every man.

-Lara-Su

"A world of Machines"

It was a small building, Taylor assumed it was some kind of pump station for an aqueduct that ran from the ocean a few miles away. Sonnu glanced at it, it was unusual that an authentic chaos emerald was in an abandoned pump station in the middle of nowhere. 

"You sure that's it?" Sonnu asked. 

Taylor nodded, not taking his eyes off the scanner. "Let's check it out."

The pair reached the door, a thick rotten smell resign form the building, Taylor had held a handkerchief over his nose.

__

Your still a city boy Taylor,

Sonnu insulted him silently but the smell was strong, and Sonnu reluctantly opened the steel door to the station. 

"Good Maker," Taylor exclaimed,

a mangled corpse lay behind the door, flies circling it. The was covered a red pulp, where the flesh had been sheered off, Sonnu couldn't even tell what species it was. It's innards lay in a pile where they had fallen out, presumable when it was being skinned. Sonnu gagged at the smell, holding his vest over his face.

"What the hell happened here?" Sonnu asked,

"Must've been Bennisaurins," Taylor mumbled around his handkerchief. "Or a wild animal,"

Sonic scowled the term, Bennisaurin was a term used for wild Hedgehogs, it was a racial slur. 

Taylor was kneeling beside the corpse, looking it over, "It's been dead for a while, let's hope whatever killed it isn't still around,"

Neither were surprised, the woods around Mobotropolis were filled with fierce wild animals and wild hedgehogs known to kill travelers. Whoever this poor soul was most likely stumbled upon someone's territory, or perhaps a Jaguar was saving it for later, they were known to do that. Sonnu looked up as Taylor lifted something from the spilled entrails of the corpse. A glimmering necklace, round, opal colored. 

"The Imperial crest," Taylor said. "This was a blackcoat. . .Like I was,"

Sonnu stared, the Blackcoat, (Scor's personal guard) were some of the best fighters in history, they were known to be able to fight off hundreds of lesser warriors, and to think someone. . .something, did this? Sonnu almost couldn't accept it, he fought Akkir, the trainer of the blackcoats and only won because of his incredible speed, not because of his skill. Akkir blocked and countered as if the sword was part of him, with skill that Sonnu couldn't even dream of attaining. Whoever did this must have been an incredible fighter, or attacked with such rage it was impossible to fight. 

"We have to get out of here," Taylor said. "Whoever Killed one of Scor's best could tear us to shreds,"

"Just relax Taylor," Sonnu said. "Whatever it was, it's gone now,"

"Do you know that?" Taylor asked, 

"No," Sonnu admitted, "But we need that chaos emerald, let's just get it and juice,"

Taylor bit his bottom lip, he was visible shaken, "Good idea," Taylor said. "It's in that back room,"

Sonnu stepped foreword, knowing Taylor wasn't gonna take point, the door to the pump room creaked open on it's metal hinges, the sound of the aqueduct pump humming louder as he slipped the door open. Light flashed off a blade edge as Sonnu dove back, a wild hedgehog swinging it wildly. Sonnu and Akkir backed off, hands held off, neither of them wanted a fight. The hedgehog pointed her blade at the two, not attacking. Sonnu figured she was hiding, from whatever ver killed the Blackcoat. Taylor took advantage of the moment to try to negotiate,

"Please," He said, holding his hands in the air, "We are unarmed,"

In a blinding motion Tiana striped off Taylor's weapon belt, holding it dangling from her hand. "Now your unarmed." She taunted. "You don't think I know what a Jigblade looks like?"

"Listen," Sonnu said. "We don't want any trouble,"

"Then why did your friend lie about his weapons?"

"Because he's an Idiot," Sonnu said. "We're just looking for a chaos emerald, cut us some slack,"

The hedgehog slipped her knife into it's sheath, but didn't take her hand off the handle. . .smart girl. Sonnu figured she wasn't wild, she knew to much about acorn weapons and she spoke Mobian standard perfectly.

Taylor spoke up. "I'm sorry, I thought you were a Bennisaurin," 

Tiana gave Taylor a glare that could crack cement, 

"I mean. . .Wild," Taylor corrected,

The Hedgehog didn't draw her dagger again, Sonnu guessed she was getting the point that Taylor was just a harmless idiot. Sonnu seized the opportunity.

"Listen, I'm Sonnu, and the guy over here with his hind paw in his mouth is Taylor." He said, trying to ease the tension, "We didn't mean to walk in on you, we're looking for a chaos emerald."

Tiana glanced at them both, seeming to measure if she could trust them. Sonnu could tell she was one who trusted few. "My name is Tiana." She said. "I assumed you were harmless, your unarmed, this guy doesn't know his ass from his elbow."

"WE detected one in here," Taylor said ignoring the insult, "Is there one in there?"

Tiana paused. "Your welcome to look." She said, stepping aside, not turning her back.

Taylor strode foreword, slipping into the pump room.

Sonnu looked back at the corpse, "You get a look what killed that guy?" 

Tiana shook her head, "Slashed up pretty good." She said, as if she didn't care. "What do you and the Squirrel wand with a Chaos Emerald?"

Sonnu could tell she was avoiding the subject, but played along. "WE need to power a roboticizer," Sonnu said. "Our king is sick, we think the roboticizer can get rid of the virus."

"King?" Tiana said. "Last I heard you had an emperor,"

"He was overthrown," Sonnu said. "Revolution, he did a high dive off the side of the palace."

Tiana gave a sly grin, "One monarchs is good as another out here in the woods."

"Guess so." Sonnu said, enjoying talking to another Hedgehog. "How long you live out here?"

"All my life I guess." Tiana said.

Taylor emerged form the back room with a small Grey crystal, "It's artificial." Taylor said. "Placed her to power the pump."

Sonnu sighed. "Easiest way to power something you don't get a chance to maintain much,"

"I've better put it back," Taylor said, disappearing back into the room.

"I can show you to where there might be a Chaos emerald." Tiana said turning to Sonnu. "East of here,"

"We'd appreciate that," Sonnu said.   
"I'm sure you would," Tiana said, a response Sonnu Didn't expect.

__

Man's most unfortunate trait, is out fear of loosing our reasons to hate.

-St. Amy Of the Thorns

The first moon's light shone up the vat's metallic surface. Godiva caressed the machine, the secret to her future. It reminded Godiva of some kind of pot. . .a cauldron. She was tempted to open the titanium lid, but realized. . .it was to soon. It needed a way to be spread. . .this purification, so it need it's final component, a Chaos Emerald. This thing that Taylor had been working on for the last year was the secret to a perfect world, a world free of tyranny. Godiva realized that the word rolled in cycles, tyranny, freedom, tyranny, freedom. It was a true nightmare, freedom was only a sign of tyranny to come. True peace, could never be attained. . .except by this, a final answer to an eternal problem. This would create peace, and destroy tyranny on one singular, painless stroke. Godiva went though what Taylor taught her to do to stir the mixture, she activated a small vidscreen next to the vat.

__

Nanite control system, 

authorization: 

Godiva punched in the password on the small pad: 

PUREIFICATION

Godiva smiled, very fitting. She activated a few more commands, and the vat let out a simple hum, vibrating a bit. Taylor had taught her how to use it effectively, from how to stir it, to release it, to how to activate the self destruct. . .in case evidence needed to be destroyed. Taylor could always whip up another batch. Godiva leaned back in her chair, waiting for it to stop. Godiva jerked up, as she leaned back it felt as if something had pulled her fur. Godiva felt under her vest, a spot of cold steel bit her fingers. 

__

No. . .please no!

Godiva stood, looked down to see a silvery spot of steel on her stomach.

__

It wasn't mean for me!

Godiva tried to relax, she breathed, concentrated. This wasn't only a small dose, if it was any larger her entire torso would be steel. It wasn't going to be any trouble once Taylor got back she'd just. . .

"Who's there!" 

Godiva growled, it was Lara-Su.

"It's the Countess." Godiva said, reminding Lara of he royal lineage. 

"Countess my ass." Lara said storming into the lab. "What are you doing in the councilman's lab!!"

"My Fiancée?" Godiva reminded innocently. "HE asked me to take care a few of his projects while he was gone." Godiva leaned against the vat, hiding the veiwscreen with her long hair. "What are you doing away from your apartment in the city?"

Lara walked in the room, she was in her bed robes, she must be staying somewhere in the palace. "I was waiting for St. Amy to come back with Lotus."

Godiva smiled and shrugged. "Well now that we both have reasons. . .mind leaving me to my work?"

Lara sighed, sat on a nearby stool. "As if I could sleep with you in the palace again,"

"I assume you don't trust me?" Godiva asked with fangs in her smile.

"Why should I?"

"What could I do?" Godiva said. "Truthfully, I'm not a fighter like my brother, or a ruler. If you truly believe me a threat, then you are within your right to destroy me."

Godiva stood silently after that, leaning on the vat, only smiled. 

Lara knew she was right, Godiva wasn't like her Brother, they were twins so it was tough to differentiate the two. Lara also knew that Godiva was not beyond killing, she'd killed three men during her Brother's reign. Godiva was trained by the Zantrua, a downundan school of seduction. Zantruan graduates were able to make themselves completely irresistible to the opposite sex. Lara even heard Rumors that Godiva was able to use her natural skunk scent a powerful pheromone. Godiva had powers, but she was not putting any to play here.

"Sorry," Lara said. "I think the real reason is Lotus, I don't know if you'd understand, but it's hard to watch your child grow up with a different religion."

"Your right," Godiva said. "I wouldn't understand. I am unable to bear children."

Lara never knew that, "I didn't know. . ."

Godiva shook her head. "I don't mind so much, the Zantrua doesn't allow their gratuities to bear children."

"You mean you could if you wanted to?" Lara said.

"The process is kinda gross," Godiva said. "But after an. . .encounter, I can control weather I. . ." Godiva laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Let's just say I can turn the process on or off."

"Weird." Lara said. "I didn't even know that was possible,"

"Neither did I," Godiva said. "Until I learned it for myself."

"Do you want kids?" Lara said. 

Godiva thought, "Never really came up," Godiva said. "Though like I said, Zanrturans agree not to."

Lara was curios now. "What do you want?" She asked. "I mean Zanturans aren't supposed to marry outside of a harem either, you broke one rule I assume you could break another if you wanted to,"

Godiva sighed, "I could, ." She said. "I guess it would be nice, to have a child that is, we all have motherly instincts. I'd prefer to cross that bridge when I come to it."

The vat stopped humming, Godiva turned to it, shutting it down. 

"Well, I'm glad we had this little girl to girl chat." Godiva taughnted. "But I need to get some sleep."

Godiva strode out, leaving Lara along in the lab, a shiver ran though her.

__

Did I just have a "chat" with Godiva?

Lara was surprirsed, she spent so long Hateing Godiva she forgot that she was also a person. It felt strange takeing to her on an even level. Strange. . .strange indeed.

__

Some things are best left unlearned, some secrets are best left as so. Man was never meant to know all things.

-Lara-Su 

"The Drama of Life"

It was about an hour and a half drive, then another half an hour walk after the old road became overgrown.. Sonnu hated walking but Tiana was leading the way. The forest became thick with vines, but Tiana navigated though them as if they were part of her. Sonnu could tell she spent the most of her life in the forest. Soon, she pulled out her long dagger and begun cutting though them. 

"Remember to step on logs and rocks," Tiana advised. "Not over them, you never know what's on the other side."

"Where did you learn all this?" Sonu asked.

Tiana shrugged. "Ya live and learn."

Sonnu had trouble belliveing that, not following the advice she was giving could land your foot in a nest of poison Crits, or a forest adder. If she "lived and learned" lessons like that in the wilderness she's be dead by now. 

Taylor leaned close to Sonnu, "Do you recognize the dagger she's using?" Taylor asked quietly,

Sonnu glanced at the dagger, it was about a foot long, white ivory dagger, brass pommel.

"It's a Kinjal," Sonnu said, "An imperial blade, She probably lifted it off the Blackcoat,"

"Or killed him for it," Taylor whispered,

Sonnu chuckled a bit, "Look at her Taylor, you acutaly think she'd be able to kill an imperial blackcoat? Really, she's a little thing."

"You speed makes you blind to it," Taylor said. "When she jumped at you, she was moovieng almost as fast as you."

Sonnu shook his head. "You were seeing things,"

"Only your reflexes as a fighter saved you," Taylor said. 

"Taylor, you know I'm. . ."

"Here we are." Tiana interupted. "It's in there."

Sonnu and Taylor stared open mouthed at the building taylor directed them to. It was a small tow storied building, but anyone who knew the history of the War of seperation knew this building. It was the home of the original Balckcoats, where the first of the Saudaukar were constucted. After Scor's fall, no one had been able to locate it. Tiana confidently lead them though an outter wall, to the front door. 

"How did you find this place?" Sonnu asked. 

"It's where I grew up." Tiana said.

__

Grew up?

Here?

It wasn't makeing any sence to either Sonnu or Taylor, Akkir's original rebel group was all men, and none of the were hedgehogs. The group entered the front door, emptoy stoen walls welcomed them. Save an occatonal scapr of paper or discarded can or tool. One the farthest wall was a set of bunks, only the dingy striped matresses remighned. Sonnu assumed that the inhabitants of this building moved to the palace after Scor because Emporer, takeing all their things with them. Tiana moove foreward, heading towards a central door. She slid a metal door open far easyer than any woman her size should, and flipsed on a switch. Long-unused flourecenet light flickered and illiminated the dusty room. Again it seemed everything was gone but what was connedted to the walls, some large steel conduits, a fileing cabinet and what apaered to be a Ring forge.

"There you are boys," Tiana siad, pointing, "Choas Generator, should be a bona-fide Choas emerald Therin."

"Thank you," Taylor said. 

"I think we oughta camp here, I'll get you back to the valley come morning." Tiana siad. "I'm gonna catch fourty winks on one of them cots, been a while since I had a bed."

"We'll call you if we need you," Sonnu said.

"If I need you I'll just scream." Tiana said with a bizare grin.

__

We have no true enemys, ideals are what we oppose, not people.

-King Theodore Bollers

During peac negotiontions between the great houses of Mobius.

She was so afriad, her whole body shook and she rifled though Taylors files, reading them over. 

__

He must have made a cure!

Godiva glanced at her stomach, she had to weat a full blouse to cover it from her aides untill she could get to Taylor's Lab again. Her entir lower tosrso was steel, and she could feel it inside of her. . .cold steel organs below her flesh. . .it was the ultimate nightmare bineg roboticized. . .slowly enough to realize it's happening. Godiva had never been as terrigfied, she knew enough about the Plague that if it reached her brain. . .it was over. Godiva bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears form the anguish of know there was no hope for her. 

__

Please Maker no!

Godiva frozer on a document, 

__

Yes!

She whiped it out and read it over. . .

__

Internal silverine Viral project,

"The Silver plague"

Deatails of cureing process:

In case of infection of someone not intended to be replcaed, a de-robtization proces will either halt the spread of the nanites, or reverse the process. Some degree of Robotization may still occur, the extent in unpredictable. 

Godiva felt Extatic, finaly ehtere was some kind of hope, she could get Doctor Tekal to work the Robitzation macine and reverse the process, he could be bound to silence. The old fool wasn't emotionaly strong enough to face up to her, a countess of Downunda. It wasn't completele, but it was some kind of plan. It was important to secure Taylor's plans, so he would't know about the fact she lost her immunity. 

__

The world deserves this,

Not me!

__

She stole the moon with a silver chord,

Strumming from harps we'll never see.

A heavenly sound, 

Of Heavens being torn down

-Deantimin 

Toka Reaurum poet

Dust particles danced in a ray of sunlight above Sonnu's eyes, he reluctantly stretched, rolled over in his tight sleeping bag. He yawned, his eyes catchihng Taylor already awake. He was sitting on a wooden crate, leafing though some of the old files form the cabint. When Taylor wore his coat, he almost looked normal, but now in the morning. . .only wearing a pair of short he looked incredibly thin. Sonnu guessed there must have not been an ounce of fat on him. Bent acros the back sitting on the stool, Sonnu lauighed a bit to himself. Taylor turned to the sound, his tail twiting a bit.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing . . ." Sonnu said groggyly.

Taylor held up a strip of dried beef, "Hungry?"  
Sonnu's stomach turned. . .Carnivores, "No," He said, standing. "Why are you eating meat? You're a Squirel. . ."

"I know Squrls are useal Herbavores," Taylor said. "This was standard issue in the blackcoats, weather I liked it or not, I got a taste for it." Taylor calmped another bit of the meat in his teeth, pulling and chewing it heartyly.

The smell alone made Sonnu want to throw up. He stood and sliped on his vest. "We've better get that Emerald and get back to Mobotropolis."

Taylor nodded. "Yes, after breakfast."

Sonnu winced as Taylor tore of another bite of the beef, and he grabed some of his own rations.

"You know what this room was for?" Taylor asked though a mouthful of meat.

"They build Saudaukar ehre right?" 

"A few," Taylor said. "But mainly they used this place for cloneing experements,"

"Aren't those illegal?" Sonnu asked sturring a vegetable soup.

"Not like Akkir cared," Taylor said. "He created nine clones here, each from genes in the royal records. Eight of them died,"

"What happened to the Nineth?" 

Taylor fliped a page back, "That's what I'm reading now," Taylor was Quiet for a split second, rading over a bit of the file. "Hm, seems that the nineth wound up bieng raised at the base here, trained by Akkir,"

"That's weird," Sonnu said. "Tiana said she grew up here,"

"There's a reason for that," Taylor said casualy, "Who do you think is the Nineth clone?"

Sonnu shot up, walked quickly to taylors side reading over his shoulder, "That explains alota things,"

"Yes includeing her speed," Taylor said. "Look at who her gene donors were,"

Sonnu's eyes opened wide as he read, "I couldn't be. . ."

"It is." Tiana said from behind the pair. She stood silent, right hand on her hip, her kinjal drawn and resting casualy at the end of her dangleing left arm. 

"Sonic, and Sally." Tiana said, 

"You knew?" Taylor said.

"It comes on and off." Tiana said, using the knife to clean her claws. "Sometimes I remember this place, sometimes I don't. I prefer not to, I just don't know. "

Taylor's mouth hung open, realizeing what he had found. "You realize Tiana, that with your Royal blood, you're an heir to the throne,"

Tiana laughed, tossing a bit of her headfur back. "Well lucky me, I ger to act like that punk Scor and take a throne I don't deserve, wow."

"Sonnu, this means there is an heir," 

Sonnu sighed, "And we'll need one if we don't get that Emerald back to Mobotropolis." 

"Right," Taylor siad, Drawing his Jigblade. "I should be able to cut though the outer shell of the genorater with this,"

"To thick," Tiana said smileing. "You'll snap a jigblade in that Genorater, you'll need to hack it."

Talkot sheithed the small balde, "Should't be to hard," He siad. "I've cracked harder." Taylor buisied himself with the generator. 

Sonnu looked at Tiana. . . "You know I'm. . ."

"Sonic's son." Tiana said. "I lifted a reciver off a dead merchant, caught some newscasts untill the battery went dead."

"I think I'd like you to come back," Sonnu said. "Meet my Family, I mean Scor's not in charge anymore, you don't need to live out here in the woods anymore. Taylor could hook you up with a Job. . ."

Tiana shook her head as Sonnu spoke. "I don't belong there," She siad. "I'm a creation not a person,"

"No one had to know," Sonnu said. 

"I'll know." Tiana siad simply. "I'll always know."

Sonnu didn't know how to answer, he senced Tiana was seriose, that she felt she didn't have a place among normal people. She lived happyly around here for quite a while, purhaps she would be better off here alone. Something about her, looked almost as if she belonged here. Taylor interupted the silence, holding a reddish chaos emerald in his hand.

"There it is," Taylor said. "A thank you to the heir,"

Tiana gave a sideways smirk, "Thank you,"

"The King owes you his life my dear," Taylor said. "I'm surte he'd be glad to meet you."

Sonnu glaced back, at Tiana, She rolled her eyes.

"Look like I'm out of reasons." Tiana said with a snicker. "Lead on."

_ God is not just for the ritch, not just for the strong, and not just for the righteous. Salvation is much like Medicine, it is for the sick. . .not the healthy._

-Father Litman Robinson

"Articles of Ministry"

St. Amy stood on the edge of the balcony, whinds whipping about, her long silk cape billowng hbehind her like a ribbon. Lotus sat at at her feet, in her own gown. Lara-Su emerged carrying two cups of mint tea and a hot chocolate on a tray. Passing the tea to Sister Amy, the Chocolate to Lotus. Lara sat and sighed, she knew it was a bad idea to play with the second moon like the sisterhood always did. Lotus was had nightmares for the last two nights. 

"Lara. . ."

"I know." Lara interupted. "I don't want to talk about it okay?"

"It is something that needs discussed." Amy said. "Something I need to say."

Lara sighed, siped her tea. "Allright, shoot."

"There is a certain thing we never do," Amy said. "In the sisterhood, we never allow a child of Lotus's promise to commune, untill she is old enough to accept the conciquences of their gifts."

"I'm not sure I understand," Lara siad.

"Sonic was a chicld gifted by the Maker," Amy siad. "As was your father, as were both you and your son. We know the great promise she had, she will have powers beyond any to come before. . .she's. . ." St. Amy paused, concentrated, trying to gain controll of her emmotions. "Lotus has been gfted with the ultimate prophesy, she has seen the end of this world, I'm I'm afraid this is something she will never be able to forget."

Lara said nothing, wathicng Lotus silently sip her hot chocolate. She huged her daughter tightly, Lotus smiled. "I'm sorry honney,"

"We can teach Lotus to live with this immage," Amy said. "She can learn."

"You've better got o bed Honny," Lara said. "We can work this out in the morning,"

Lotus nodded, sipping the last of her drink. She dispeared solemly into the apartment, back to her room. 

"You've spoken with Godiva," Amy said, finding somehting interesting in Lara's daily memory. "And now you hold less contemp,"

Lara nodded. "Yeah, we kinda had a talk. All this time I've hated her, and not really Known her."

"She has enoumous potnetial," Amy said. "Truth be told, I tried to recruit her into the sisterhood, she didn't like the sound of 'sister Godiva', and she is far to leacheros the take an oath to chastity."

Lara laughed to herself a bit. "I guess she's not the type, I might even get to like her after a while."

Lara glanced at Amy, she was still standning, her sheer white cape billwng in the wind, Lara was no Telepath but she could tell soemthing was still wrong.

"Mom?" She asked, knowing Amy knew the question.

"It's just Lara's Vision," Amy said. "A prophesy is more like a furute memory,"

"Meaning?"

Amy paused, wonderin weather she should answer. "Thayt means, that no one can phphesy outside of their own lifetime. Before Lotus dies, she will see the end of Mobius."

__

Opression is an Artform

-Scor St.John

Empoerer of the twenty year Dynasty

Godiva awoke slowly, on a soft stralized sheet. She felt as if she had slept for hours, her groggy mind remembered why she had this poeration. Godiva reached dowqn to her stomach, feeling warm flesh where there waas itchy metal. She breathed a sigh of relef. 

"De-Robocization worked out?" A hawk docotr said as he leaned over Godiva. 

"Fine," Godiva said. "I thank you Serra."

"No thanks needed my countess," Dr. Tekal said. "Now, Cousulman Bartlett is back with the Emerald, the plan will be in motion soon. You should be fine in a while, just need some rest."

"Of corese Doctor," Godiva said. "Remember, no one is know must know of this."

The Doctor smiled. "Of coarse M'lady." He hadned Godiv her vest and pants and began wokring on some of his equipment. Godiva stood, the palace medical room was just as she remembered it. She'd been here a few times when she used to live here, it would be nice to be home. Bodiva sliped on her cloths, looking at her stomahc, withc was now flesh again. Godiva was so afraid of the plague overtakeing her, but now she was fine, and with Taylor home she could get the plan underway. Thosewho were immune. . .

__

I was supposed to be Immune!

Godiva sighed, she had to Warn Taylor, she sliped on her vest and began out. . .only to find her legs like lead underneath her, she almost collasped, Dr. Tekal caught her. 

"What there," The old doctor laughed, "It's gonna be a while before you can do much walking, get some rest,"

Godiva nodded, there was nothing she could do now, Taylor would not innitiate the plan unitll later, she had time to recover, and he would undoubtibly visitet her when he found her in the imfirmary. 

__

Just rest, 

Just wait.

__

No one knows the depths of hate, no one knows the depts of rage, in this world they sometiems seem boundless.

-Lara-Su

"The Drama of Life"

Sonnu rested, is was a ten hour drive. Taylor volenteered to drive the last stretch by himself. Sonnu knew he could have ran almost twice as fast as this macine could have gone and carried Taylor and Tiana with him, but Taylor insised on using the macine to carry the emerald, witch was delecate. Sonnu was groggy after the long drive, though he finaly began recognizeing the edges of the Mobotropolis. Sonnu glanced across the back seat, seeing Tioana laying beside him alseep. Even in her slumber that twisted grin remighned on her face. Sonnu wondered what could have happened, what she saw when that Balcxkcoat was killed, how she escaped herself. Her chesnut fur is much like what Sonnu knew to be her mother's colouring, though that was the only part of her anatomy that resembled a squirls, apearently the hedgehog genetics were dominant. She was well built and athletic, her almost shaped eyes were a soft blue, thogh they were not visivble now under her soft tan eyelids. Sonnu glanced up, watching Royal hospitol aproach, sonnu streched, expecting the vehincle to stop, only to see it zoom by. Talyor glanced back a split second, seeing Sonnu akake, truned back to his driving.

"Taylor, you missed the Hospitol." Sonnu said groggyly,

"I'll circle back around," Taylor said. "Go abck to sleep,"

One thing Sonnu allways knew was that taylor was a poor liar,

"Taylor, the king and the Roboticizer are in the royal hospitol," Sonnu said. "Come on,"

"We're not going to the Hospitol," Taylor said. "We're going to the palace,"

"But why. . ." Sonnu was interpited as a stiun dart planted itself in his jugular, he turned just in time to see Taylor aiming a dart pistol. Sonnu couldn't speak as a burning feeling went though his veighs, bathing his mind in darkness.

Sonnu awoke, still feeling a burning in his veighns from the tranq taylor had used. His viosn was blurry and dim. He recognized where he was. . .the palace medical quarters. Sonnu's muscles were weak and burning lsllightly, he felt tight Nylong straps holding him to the bed. Sonnu's blurry vision cleared, seeing Taylor back in his normal atire, a grey buisiness suit. He was. . .doing something, he was slaping some handcuffs on Tiana, a few others he recognized in the room. Sonnu's wife. . .Lara. . .his Daughter Lotus. . .Even St. Amy. They were all silent. . .knocked out. Even taylor's Fiance' Goiva. . .she was there but not bound, she was helping! A Hawk. . .The Royal surgon Dr. Tekal was among them as well, making sure they were all properly sedated. Sonnu realized tehre was a IV needle in his arm, feeding him some kind of sedative. 

"you. . ." Sonnu gasped, trying to speak though the narcotic.

Taylo turned and sighed. "I knew a normal sedative would't be able to kill your Metabalim." He siad simply. "Bulds up an immunity to fast, I'm epxecting the same form the others," Taylor tunred, faince Sonnu's bed. "I think I prefer these garments," He siad. "I'm no warrior, I'm a buisinessman, I'm a poltitian."

"What. . .are you doing?" Sonnu said just above a whisper. 

"Finishins what a I Started Sonnu," Taylor said. "I comes down to this Sonnu, their's two kinds of people in this world, oridnary and Extrodonary. You and I Sonnu are extrodonary people, with powers, dreams, strenths, the rest are usefull, but in a limited manner. You see, when ordinary people are given free will they can misuse it, they cause wars, commit crimes" taylor was silent for a second. "They become power hungry murderers like Scor."

"Something wrong with free will?"

"Only in the wrong hands," Taylor said. "in the hands of the hateful, the spiteful, the fearful, with unfotunately is about ninety percent of Mobius. When I took over parlament, what I planed to do was to promote capitalism in it's highest form. I wanted to turn people into macines, give them baubles and trinkets to pacify them but not give them power." Taylor shook his head. "People always desire more, they always want something else that they don't have, and that means ambition, ambition makes kings, but it also makes tyrants. I think the solution is obiviose,"

Sonnu's face twisted into a scowel, "You mean take away free will,"

"From those who would abuse it," Taylor said. "And preserve those who have proven their valor. You, and your family mainly." Taylor said. "I planed to preserve the king. . .but acts of others in his Dynasty made him my first test subject for the silver plague,"

"You master plan I suppose?" Sonnu said sarcasticly. 

Taylor grined, walk slowly to a monitor on the other side of the room, he puched up a striange display. It looked like a tiny metal sphere with milllions of hair-like cilia all around it. "This is my creation, a self-replicateing programable airborn robotic virus, able to manipulate matter on a sub-atomic level. It works like a virus, it gets into your system, and destroys your immune system first, witch is the stage where our king is currently,"

"That's why he's sick," Sonnu said. "You gave him this virus,"

"I did," Taylor said. "But the virus never took full effect in him. After disableing the immune system it behgins to replcae all organic matter with mineral matter. Much like a roboticizer, when it reaches the brain. . .the brain beocmes a computer, fulfilling a function. Esentialy the person does what he does at work every day, but nothing else. All free will is eliminated."

"Like robotnik?" Sonnu asked.

Taylor smiled and almost laughed at that, "He was a geneios wasn't he? His plan was aplicable, just flawed. I plan to do what he did, but spare the geneticly supirior like you and I."

"I'm falttered," Sonnu said sarcasticly. "I misjudeged you Taylor, I thought you were at least a decent man, one who stands up to evil, like Robotnik or Scor, but you just like any one of them."

Taylor's face erupted with spite, his sharp teeth were bared, "Just like them?" Taylor slamed his fist into the controll pannel, it cracked praying sparks across the room. Sonnu never could tell how much power was wraped in Taylor thin frame, but he was displaying it now. "As you recall I was part of the resistance, spying on Scor and his legions for your king. I was discovered four days before the Feydakin attack, Scor himself setenced my to death, by torture." Taylor paused, pain showing on his face form the memory. "Godiva beged her brother to have mercy on me, but there was no mercy to be had. He would rather kill that Floating island kissup Crowe than let my live. Scor's torturers work is shifts, I didn't. I was tortured steady for three and a half days before a feydakin troop relesed me." Taylor cleched his fists so tight they bled, "Something like that Changes a man Sonnu, it kills them quite effectively from the isideout, I was born again but not in the Gdoly sence. I was born a more sober man, one who want this world to be eraced."

"Your insane,"

"On the contrary," Taylor said. "I see now more clearly than I ever have. Now, the plague is airborne, I will release it from the roof, in a few days the city will be completely infected. Then, the cirus will cross the sea, infecting downunda, Shottingham, every city beyond that. I estimate a few months, and this world will be gone. Of coarse, in the sedtative I've given you and your family I've also included an immunity gene, but any sign of insurrection . . ." Taylor pulled out his dart pistol, and loaded a dart full of what looked like murcury. "And you will be infected yourself."

"I trusted you," Sonnu said, "The king trusted you and you stab him in the back, I'll tear you apart,"

"You'll thank me one day," Taylor siad with a smile. "I count you as a friend, and this way you and your wife and child, can live in a world wihtout war, hatred, no corupt leaders or criminals." Taylor began to walk out, smileing, "Yes, you hate me now, but one day, you will thank me Sonnu. One day."

Sonnu wasn't quite awake he wasn't quite asleep, time passed in a milky haze. He soon realized that His family was awake, except for Lotus. Lara held her daughter close, 

"She's to young," Lara said, "The sedative. . .she's."

"She'll be fine," Dr. Tekal said. "Just has a stronger effects on children."

"Her mind is at peace," St. Amy said. "but we still must get free, the Sedative is fast nutralizeing my telepathy, I won't be able to track him forever."

"That's what it was desighned for," Tekal said. "We don't want you frying my brain or something."

Tiana was her playful self, wringing her wrists against her handcufs, trsiting agiast the ropes holding her to the chair. Her face droped when she caught a glance of Amy's face. "You. . ." She whispered. "I know who you are. . .Amy rose,"

"St. Amy," The Sister said. "It has been long since I've been called the name of my youth."

"There must be something we can do," Lara said. "I mean, we can't just let Taylor get away with this!"

Some of use desrver it," Tiana siad. I want you to suffer old woman! I want you to pay for using Sonic as your bed plaything, how can you say you loved him? He was goal to you, a prize to be won, you didn't love him." Spate Tiana.  
Amy looked at Tiana, there was sympathly in those eyes, not the fear Tiana wanted, or the hate she so egarly wanted to see, to know she wasn't so high and mightly. Amyt struggled to sue her telpathy in Tian's shattered mind, agianst the sedative stifleing her clarvoyance.  
"Tiana, you have my deepest pity. In another time, another place, I know Sonic and Sally would of loved to have raised you. But fate denied you that, and brought into the world by Scor's hands insted."  
"Never meantion that murderer to me! Or that he had anything to do with me. I want you stripped of your tital as sister. So you'll spend the last years of your life without that honor you've held so dear!"  
Amy slowly shocked her head. But Tiana knew it wasn't in despair at her sitation, it was the gesture of seeing a lost child.   
"Fear me. Hate me. Shout at me. Denouce me and what I am. I am what would of been if Sally had not died. That is the reason you should hate me. I am your enemy Rosy Rascal."

Sonnu looked on helppless, feeling at least in part that this was his fault, he knew Tiana has problems, and still brought her back.  
"Your are a little girl, denied everything but pain, lost to the world, trying so hard to find a reason to exist." Then Amy shocked Tiana so hard she might faint. "I hope you will someday find the right one."

The others coiuld only stare in awe, Amy's telepathy was at full speed, but Tiana's rage only grew.  
Tiana twisted her writs in the handcufs, fists cletched though her gloves.  
"No, no, no, no! You have to hate me! I'll make you hate me! You have to hate me!" Tiana was shaking with emotion, but it was oblivous that the destructive part of it was direct at herself, and not the sister. 

"Hey calm down you!" The Doctor said. "Just relax, Taylor will relase all of you in a little while, after the virus is loose,"

Tiana's spoke though her clhence teeth, "I'll make you hate me!" She said, pulling her arms back, she slamed her thumbs into the wall, she breathed, paused, and slmed them in again gaspig at tremedouse pain as her thumbs became dislocated. She gried out asn she pulled her broken hand though the thin hoops of the handcuffs, Dr. Tekal looked on, amazed at Tiana's endurance. She flexed her hands as the rapibly healed, Sonnu gasped.

__

Her speed,

It's in her healing!

Tiana quickly Untied herself, muteing to herself Madly, as Tekal Ran acorss the room to grab a Pistol withc was setting near the entrance but Tiana was already free. The Doctor whirled around with his pistol just as Tiana efforletlessly hurnled a steel char it him. Tekal stumbled, droping the weapon, Tiana drew her dagger, mercylessly stabing the doctot in the chest,

Once, 

Twice,

Three times,

He arm mooveing in one more borad motion slahing the hawk acorss the face. D.r Tekal stumbled and fell to his knees, blood puring from his beak and a deep gash on his face. Tiana let ouy a shrill scream, her hand tightnening around the handle of the knife. She struck Tekal once more with the bade so hard he skid across the infirmary floor, leaveing a streak of blood behind. Tiana pointed the bleeidng knife at St. Amy's face, the sister showed not the slightest worry.

"I could kill you," Tiana said. 

"And you would have no remorse," Amy said. "You need no mercy wihtout emmotions, you have no fear wihtout anxiety, I sence this even though my sedation. I only pity what will happen when you emmotions return, and the trues scope of the pain you cuased becoems reality for you."

Tiana stod for a long moment, holding the knife inches of Amy's face, a drop of blood fell from it, making a res spot on Amy's snow-white gown. Tiana grit her teeth audibly, she tunred and whiped the knife into the air, it flew, landing a hair's lenth from sonnu's grip.

"Soon you will see what hate truly is," Tiana hised and she grabed some things off a medical table, and walked out.

Taylor and Godiva towed the the vat down the dimly lit palace hallway., it was held on an ati-grav sled. The vat radiated cold. . .a slight steam riseing from the vat and the frozen Virus therin. 

Godiva smiled at her Fiance, "Taylor, I can't bleive it's actualy happening, we're going to be livieng in the perfect world,"

"As will our children my love," Tayor said. "Our genetic immunity will protect us though a thousand generations,"

Godiva felt the spot on her stimach, that was just recently cold steel, "I'm afriad the Immunity was ineffective with me, that was why I was in the infirmaey."

Taylor abuptly stopped, stareing in disbelif, "It. . .didn't work?"

Godiva smiled, shook her head. "But all I need is a booster right?"

Taylor nodded, "Yes, if your immune system beat it once, then it. . ."

Godiva looked at the ground, sorrowful, "You've always been a poor liar. . " She said, deep with sorrow.

Taylor didn't say a thing, held her close, "You know, I will work day and night to find a way to cure you," Taylor siad. "I will never give up!"

Godiva huged, resting her head on taylor' shoulder. She had never known love, untill she had met him. 

"So Mr. squirrel," Tiana's voice said from down the hall. "You gonna destroy the world,"

Talor stepd in front of Godiva, "You are among my chosen Tiana," Taylor said, raiseing his dart pistol. "Don't make me infect you!"

Tiana's mouth strethceing into a twisted grin as her quills stood on end, "You think I care about being flesh or steel?" In a laser-fast moting Tiana threw a surgical scoup, it whiped past Taylor's ear barely grazeing him. He retalitated, fireing a dart diretly into Tiana's chest. Tiana held it-winced as it injected her painfully with the virus. She screamed, knwoing pain for the first time as it rushed thoiugh her veighns, she stumbled off, her screams tailing after her.

"Taylor-" Godiva whimpered from the ground,

Taylor tunred to find his love laying on the ground, the razor-sharp shouple stuck into her throat, bleeding rapidly into a growing pool of blood. Taylor was no medic, butthis wound was feindishly lethal, there was no way to repair a hole this large in the jugular. 

She spoke weakly, "I could never be part of your new world Taylor," She said. "It is better this way. . ."

Taylor didn't know how to argue, only wishing it was untrue, his eyes were filled with tears, he embraced his fiance' knowing it may be the last time. She kissed him deeply.

"As long as I will live, I will only have one love." Taylor said. 

"As many as I have been with," Godiva said "Only one knew my truly, only once have I loved."

Godiva rested, the lack of blood making her weak and weary, rest. . .she knew, it was eternal rest.

Taylor stood, only one last thing to do. . .finish the plan. He loaded another dart into his pistol, pushed the virla vat to the elevator. 

__

Hate is known with the same Passion as love.

-Countess Godiva St. John

In her gratuation speech from the Zantrutan Geserit

Sonnu struggled to turn the Kinjal's blade against the belts holding down his arm, he sliced it across the belt, it flipped off his arm. He dropped the knife, slipping the other belt of his arm, the rest of the belts gone slack he pulled out of it, falling to his feet. 

He ran to untie Lara, she shook her head. "No Sonnu," She said weakly though the sedative, "We'll manage, you have to stop Taylor,"

"Yes," St. Amy said. "We will be fine here, you don't have much time."

Sonnu stood still, deciding, he Kissed Lara lightly, "I'll be back for you," he said and reluctantly bolted out. 

Wind surrounded him as he ran though the hall ways, he burst from a stain glass window, running around the walls of the palace toward the roof. In barely over a second, he was there, the roof of the palace. There Taylor stood his back to Sonnu, he was working on the Vat. He calmly turned around, holding the pistol, he fired and Sonnu effortlessly dodged the dart. Surprisingly Taylor smiled as he tossed the pistol aside.

"I assumed you wouldn't be hit a second time." Taylor laughed to himself.

"It's over Taylor," Sonnu said. 

Taylor scowled. "Your faster, but you still react like the rest of us to pain" 

Sonnu was about to reataliate, but he felt a tremedouse pain in his stomach, he unwittingly bent, then he heard it, Taylor was letting out a deep-throted hum. . .like a growel. It was the art of projection. Sonnu mind filled with unimaginable pain, he covered his ears, shouting in agony. Sonnu fell to the ground, curling as enoumouse pain shot though his body like lighitng.

Tiana stumbled as he blood froze. . .her veighs were slowly turning to steel. The ffeling of her flesh turing to steel was a bizarre feeling, one making Tiana's stomach turn. Tiana limed itno her elevator, looking down at her arm. . .it was glimmering. Tiana growled at it, as if the steel would retreat in fear of her rage. 

__

My life is over,

But what life can a clone have?

Tiana felt a tiny splinter of sorrow in he phychie, a emmotion rare to her. Up to this point she had no reason to live but to see the sun rise tomarow, and now it was as if the world she only heard of in newscasts was real. . .real as life and deadly. Tiana always felt indestructable, and with her healing ability she basicly was. Now. . .the pain was incredible, the fear was stunning, it was exilaration like she never knew. She couldn't help but smile, emmotions like this were new to her. Tiana limped into the elivator, knowing one last thing was required of her life,

__

Desroy Sonnu, Erace this abomination!

Taylor glowered in silence at sonnu as he wriggled in unimaginable pain, he dared not speak or laugh, he needed to sue his vocal chords to cause the painful vibrations. Taylor stped closer, increseing the volume and transposition of the vibration, Sonnu scremd in pain.

__

Now to end this,

Taylor drew his Jigblade, holding it hiagh over Sonnu. He stopped his vibration, knowing he could rupture his vocal cords after using the vioce to much.

"I wish I could have made you one of my chosen," Taylor said, his voice reasping a bit. "You had so much promise, a shame."

Taylor felt a powerful blow to his neckm he rolled with it, lurcheing forward. He drew his Jite. He held his weapons, a small dagger, and the Hook-like Jite, and turned. 

"No one gets in my way," Tiana said, weilding a second scalpel.

Tiana was rabiply turing to steel, her left arm, her torso, and her face was beinging to be covered with a murcury-like web of metal. She growled, flaing steely fangs.

"You killed her," Taylor said, 

"You killed me," Taiana countered,

"Not yet," Taylor said, chargeing with his balde.

Tiana effortlessly dodged, swining the scople and contracting with Taylor's back, only to find he was wearing a thin layer of armor underneath his suit. Taylor spun with his Jite and caught it in Tiana's wrist. Taylor pulled, diggin the hook-like weapon into Tiana's wrist, she almost ignored the pain. She whiped her fist around smashing it into Taylor's jaw, Taylor shook it off, she sluged him again, this time kocking his hand off the Jite. Taylor rolled and stood. Tiana tore the hook from her wrist splattering blood across the roof, she tossed it aside as the wound already began to heal. Taylor dove again with his jigblade, cuting a thin gash along Tiana's arm as she apun out of the way. She retaliated, rakeing the razer-sharp blade across Taylor's face. Taylor Roaored, leaping strait at Tiana, draging her to the ground. He held down her weapon arm, she struggled giast Taylor's strenth as drops of blood fell from Taylor's facial wound.

"I'll make you pay for what you did to Godiva!" Taylor growled, flashing his small fangs at Tiana.

Taylor's face went blank, he went limp, Tiana threw him off of her, seing the Jite's hook blade embedded in the back of his neck. Sonnu stood over her, and offered her and hand.

"Good fighitng," Sonnu wheezed, 

Tiana took Sonnu's hand, "Nice kill."

Sonnu pulled Tiana to her feet, feeling a little weak from the enourmose pain. Tiana's smile turned into a scowel, as she swung her free hand around and stabbed Sonnu in the shoulder, he shouted and pulled back.

"What are you doing?" Sonnu shouted, holding his wound.

Tiana bent, picking up Taylor's Jigblade. "I'm eraceing a mistake, an abomination," Tiana steped foreward. "You don't think I know th truth, that when my mother died, the Slut of a saint broke her vows, took advantage of him!"

"Listen Tiana," Sonnu said. "That was a long time ago, they both made a mistake,"

"A mistake?" Tiana asked with a twisted shreik in her voice. "Your that mistake!" She said, pointing the Jigblade at Sonnu's throat.

Sonnu was to weak to use his speed, to tired to fight, he had to rely on what splinter of sanity that might exist in Tiana's mind. She shreiked, and bent as her arms, leg, and mind rotted into steel.

"I have it,"Tiana siad simply, "I will die soon,"

"Then help the rest of us," Sonnu said. "Their millions down there, and that vat's gonna go any minute, let me stop it." 

Tiana droped the weapon, looked at her hands, felt the steel creeping though her flesh underneath her leather gloves. For once her mind cleard, her thoughts softened.

"Purhaps. . ." She said, her voice vibrating with a robotic ring. "I am the mistake,"

Tiana stood strait again, as the plague contiued to creep up her body. She limped slowly toward the vat, casting a gaze at Sonnu, as she activated the controll pannel. 

"Self destruct," She whispered, "You can still run,"

Sonnu extended his hand toward her, she batted it away. 

"Like I said before, I have no place here." Tiana said. "Just go, I wanted to erace a mistake, this way I'll kill two birds with one stone."

Sonnu didn't know how to argue, his sister. . .his blood. . .however it had happened resfused to let him save her life. Sonnu said nothing. . .their was nothing to say. He ziped off down the palace wall. Iana retunred her gaze to the vat, as it erupted into flame.

__

Death is sometimes the only way to right a wrong.

-St. Amy of the throns.

Sonnu sighed, it was a simple grave, but it was adequate. The Grave marker was a wooden cross, no one whould ever know who was burried here, but it didn't matter. For those who didn't know her, Tiana did not Exist. No remighns could be found, so Sonnu had burried the only part of her eft, the knife she hd weilded, the one that he used to relase himslef. It it didn't seem right since it wasn't really her knife but Tiana owned nothihg material in this world and her remighns could not be recovered. The grave had been finished for hours, but he sould't leave. Tiana was something that should have never existed, but Sonnu couldn't helkp but think given another chance, she could have been something more than she was. . .a forest dweller, a cold-blooded killer, a madwoman. Sonu Mother sneced good in her, felt a soul underneth the madness and memory loss, and uncontrolible violent urges. Sonnu wondered how she knew to activate the self-destruct, why she tried to kill him. . .he wondered a lot of things and came up with no answer. Tiana was a lost soul, she was since the beginning. Sonnu had used the Chaos emerald to restore the king, and repars to the upper part of the palace were underway (the self detrucitng viral vat made quite a mark) but something still went unresolved.

"I wish I could have known her," Lara said.

"I wish she could have known herself." Sonnu said. "Her mind. . ."

"I know," Lara said. "Mom filled me in, poor girl never could have lived a normal life."

"I wish there was something I could have done." Sonnu said. 

"You can remember her," Lara siad. "In many ways, that's the only way she'll live on, of ccorse. . ."

"What?"

"Well," Lara began. "She was just about roboticized right?"

Sonnu nodded. 

"Well, Robians are almost indestrutible," Lara siad. "Of coarse it's silly to assume she's still alive."

"Yeah," Sonnu said. "But we'll never forger her."

"Nether will I." Lara said.

The two headed back to Mobotropolis, to their daighter, leaveing the empty grave behind.

---*---

Thank you, to all those who patiently waited for the sequel. It has been a long hard road, but I'm glad it's finaly done.

Please review me!

STORY NOTES

Taylor Bartlett's name was derived from two different names, Gary Taylor, presedent of Infocision Management corperation, where I currently work, and Phil Bartlett, voice of Mew Two in the first pokemon movie.

Lotus's name came from Lotus office suplies, who's truck drove by my office as I was trying to come up for a name for Sonnu's daughter.

To date, this fanfic took me longer to write than any other, takeing almost a year to complete.

At first his story was very different, originaly it was about Geoffery St. John being brought back to life by the Golem Macine, anyone who reads my Titan AE fanfiction will recognize this as the macine that brought Preed back to life. 

For a correction in continuity, a "Jite" is actualy another name for a Sai, similar to the weapon carried by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Type of Jite Taylor uses near the end of the story is an older vertion of it, these kind were usealy used with a tanto.

The Weapon "Jigblade" was derived from Jig Saw, a tool used for perscison cutting in metal. I figured a wepon inteded to fight robots would be good at cutting metal.

Munimori, fighitng with the voice is actualy based on a real fighitng art known as Kiai. Usualy A shrill yell used during fights to disorient the enemy. "Hai Yah!" Would be the most typical form of Kiai. Anchint Kiai were much more effective, able inflict pain or fear in opponents. Unfortuantlely most of this art is lost in history.

Tiana was created by my cantributor Mat Lenz, the name I assume is derived from the book "Myst: Book of Tiana"

SPECIAL THANKS

Mat Lenz, for keeping my constantly on task, 

Ed Smith, for occationaly distracting my with racey Exticntioners pictures :P

Tiffany Knox, for inspireing the original Sonic: Ressurection

Aristotle Siozopoulos, for his glareing favorable review and inspiration. Thank you all so much! 

TO BE CONCLUDED


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